Flatpicking Guitar for the Complete Ignoramus! (Book & Online Audio) Spiral-bound – December 25, 2009

Excellent guide for the second and third year guitarist. I am an older beginner (over 50) in my third year of self learning and I live in Europe. I am happy to read Wayne's light and humorous treatment of the history behind this rich and valuable American treasure, the energy behind all modern forms of pop music in the land of the free. We are lucky to still have artists such as Wayne Erbsen living among us and sharing his gifts, talents and knowledge. And the songs are easy to follow in his enriched notation, which is good for ignoramus's such as myself. One thing I've learned since starting to really work at learning on my own, is the amount of information out there is as deep as an ocean and as confusing as a storm - so many styles, so many techniques so many complicated systems to learn from. But here a man and his guitar can start a true love for one another and produce pretty quick something that sounds like music. I grew up hearing great songs from this type of music, and now have an even deeper appreciation for all the old honky heroes and gospel days. Write another one Wayne.

I first saw this book at the Folk Art Center on the Blue Ridge Parkway and later regretted not purchasing it. I vaguely recalled the "tab" method but did not see it in the book example pages (first shown on p. 21, with song pieces starting on p. 25). I contacted the publisher (nativeground.com) and they kindly responded quickly and sent me a one page example (thank you Annie!). Having just finished working through the fretboard (memorizing the fretboard through a publication sold on this site), I thought this approach to tab, where the notes are labelled for each string played, not just numbered, would help. And so it is, as I've learned new songs while reinforcing recall of notes on the fretboard, scales and flatpicking notes with an emphasis on playing open chords. The first 20 pages or so include interesting flatpicking and bluegrass history, along with an introduction to guitar basics, chords, scales, playing by ear, etc. All in a light, amusing writing style. And there is an online audio source for samples of all songs and a pdf for all lyrics. So far, so good. I think it will improve my flatpicking and bluegrass soloing. Lookout jammers, "hear" he comes!

I really like this book. There is a lot of readable information in it and every time you read it you learn something you missed the other times. It is a great starting point for someone who plays but has never really flat plicked a lot. I think it is a great learning tool and source book.

Who knew that a book could be so much fun? Lots of fun old time classics and a unique way of showing the music that's sort of half tab and half music notation. Easy to pick up and as a side benefit, learn the names of the notes on the guitar. I wish there were more books that had this! A+++

Great book for the complete beginner to intermediate level.

It was good and very interesting.

Really, I wanted to like this book and there are some things I can really like: the idea to replace the conventional tab numbering "codes" with notes makes so much sense I can't believe Mel-Bay and Hal Leonard haven't taken up the practice.What I don't "get" is how to strum and pick at the same time. Mr. Erbsen gives little if any tips on how this can be accomplished. Maybe if he were sitting next to me and showing me I could understand but in a book it makes no sense to a true slow-learner.

I thought a CD was supposed to come with this for instruction....am I wrong? No CD came with this book.

Arrived earlier than forecast and as described.

This book was purchased as a gift. This said, being a musician myself, I perused it and I am convinced that it will serve the purpose for which it was bought. It is everything it claimed to be and should facilitate moving from strumming to picking.

just excellent.better than i imagined.many thankshighly recommend this book to anyone interested in learning the origins,and secrects of flatpicking

This book was a present for my adult son. He likes it and requested it as a present and so it must do what it says on the cover.

This is a "book" of two parts;1] The physical, spiral bound book itself, over 70 pages and 40 songs - or song fragments.2] The CD, which gives computer access to the lyrics of the songs [Word docs] along with audio tracks.My main complaint is that many of the songs are only available as fragments; either the verse is recorded or the chorus, but generally not both! For example, "Will the Circle Be Unbroken" comes with complete lyrics but you only get to practise the chorus. I've only been using the book for a a couple of days so I can't comment in any depth, but my impression is that fragments rather than whole songs are taught. A shame.On the positive side, the book is spiral bound [easy to open and use] and encourages / obliges us to think in terms of musical notes rather than the numbers that usually come with tab. You'll quickly get familiar with the notes commonly played in the keys of G and C at the open end of the guitar neck. The songs themselves are trad folk / country - recalling a campfire, pre-capitalist America, which is fine with me [a Brit].One more moan; where are the embellishments - the pull-offs and hammer-ons that are such a distinctive feature of trad guitar music? And the runs and licks that ornament this style; for instance the famous G-run. Maybe 40 tunes is simply too many?There are certainly easier guides out there, but this could be one for further study ...